A bad mix for Maryland

Oddly, though, the Terps nearly wiped out a 16-point deficit in the second half, Hayes and Mosley the main cogs in a comeback to pull Maryland within 61-58. The Terps had three possessions at that score, failing to score each time.

Villanova’s Corey Fisher then made - what else? - a 3-pointer to ignite an 11-1 run.

“If we limit those second shots and try to pressure them more on the perimeter, I think we would have come out with a win tonight,” Mosley said. “But Villanova has great shooters, and they were just hitting wide-open shots. Even though we were flying at them, they were still hitting shots.”

The loss leaves Maryland much to do once ACC play commences in a month. The Terps’ signature nonconference victory likely will be Tuesday’s defeat of Indiana, and they won’t play a power conference opponent again until Florida State visits Jan. 10.

The Terps will look different soon enough. Junior forward Dino Gregory is expected to return from suspension Saturday, and there will be time to sort out a rotation in the next month. But Maryland will need to beat quality teams, rebound and defend the perimeter - all things that could have happened Sunday night but did not.

“I think we can play,” Williams said. “We’re going to have two weeks where we play one game, and I think that’s going to help us.”